Apparatus for taking samples of coal and the like



Aug. 25, 1931. H. N. EAVENSON APPARATUS FOR TAKING SAMPLES OF COAL AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 5, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l H mm INVENTOR -kkzq 1r Ga a WITNESS Mi 41 .4;

Aug. 25, 1931. H. N. EAVENSON APPARATUS FOR TAKING SAMPLES OF COAL AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 5, 1928 .3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 25, 1931. H. N. EAVENSON APPARATUS FOR TAKING SAMPLES OF COAL AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 5, 1928 3 Sheets-Shet 3 :Lkmou we l @533 Q m w 3 XNVENTOR W-L M.

WlTN E55 WW Patented Aug. 2 5, 1 93 1 1 remen or riziriilsizunefi, enimsir lvhyig T this inilelitioncrn ay he'- usedfortaking samples of 1a va riety of broken or granularasubstances, hut it is par ticulwrily adapted for taking samples f coal While in the process of being-"screened and In the acc oihpenying drawings Figure is'f a side elevation: of a conventional cowl screen, showmg one embodimentwof the 1nvention; F'1g-ure2 1s-a; il l'ke viemon a larger 2o s'caile,- ofa' portion of the-gappam-tus shoiwn Figure 1, Fig-lined is a fragmentary plan; view taken on the line lII III of Fig ure 2; Figure A "is a-sectional 5 elevation taken onthe line-I"V-TV ofFigure 3,"show-.,

ing the parts insa/mple-taik'irng position.

1 V ofFigure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross-section takenx on Eithe line T Referring fir t to Figure 1; the "shakih mechanism -A' may 'ibe of emy usual or suite &0 abletype and need'notbe described-here. The teal to heikcl-assified runsfrom the de-.

liver-y ch-ute' Bf to the primaryfscreening chute (191 131 the chute- Git-first runs overthe screen} l, f whie'h"is of the properme'sh, or

openings of the proper s-ize,to pass the sl ack V and the smaller grades andretainon l y'the lump e051, This lump {coal I passes on. down the chuteC', over nse'cond 'scre'en' 2 for slack; to a; conveyor or other'place o f depos'itxD.

The sleek and thesm'a-ller grades 'oi't'he coal fall? through the s'erenl into the second oh-ulte'E in which there-are arranged in suchess ion" the fine screen 3 1 for i the slack, the

eoa'rser I screen '4 "for the nut coal; and at "the end of thechute the conveyor F for'the egg coal; The sleek 'fallsthroughthe screen 3 into the chute Kl'eadin'g to theslack-bin M The nut 'coal'fatll-s through the screen 4 into N Y the chuteO lead in'g:totheconveyor R; The ehutes B, C, E, K and O are of the type-usual in coal-screening :and deli-xrery eppitraitus; 1

usually j-aslightly inclined, and having fiat bottoms or floors of considerable Width;

iAqppainatus-einbodying the present in ven} tion is -:sh0w:n in two units fin ieonneetion 66 withcthe chutes :K and O,- for the taking of samples,respectively of the slack and of the nut eoal. 'e I f Each .Ofl3l'leS8't1I1ltS,X for the slackand. Y: for the nut coal, "includes rft' stop+gate 5 Q0 Working in a ztrztnsversefslot 6; extending across the floor of "the chute, and 'a) trap-door 7 formed 'in-the@floorbachoi? and adjacent to the slot 6 andgalso'extendilig theentire wldth of the chute. The opposite end's c-fthe opposite ends 0f the trans-verse rock-shaft 9 mounted beneath the floor of the chute, 2311116]: connected to the mmse (or tot-he I'OGk Sha-f1' I al e the Imearwardly--progiecting' weighted 7 arms 1 0, and't-he upwardly projecting mm 11, the letter being loosely icollneoted by the rods TIQtothe iGI'ldS Offlui -001135 13"0f the solenoids l4 on's-the opposite sides of the chute. The trapdoor 7- isfgeonnec'ted ,at its edge to a second transverse roekeshaft'm having'bhe Weighted arms :16 atlits opposite v I, ends. Upon-the arms 1 16 are fingersi 1'17 ipnoject I inwardly ,into the path of moveniientot the ti'psioft-he arms 8-.Whenthe 7 latter are swung, upwardly- --by the v rocking OEEutl'lQrSllELifl) 9 T The units and Y'ia-re :Ofl-idEhtifltl fwnstructiomthe arms Ill-01f theunits'being con nected'by-therods 12 :toathtopposite ends respectively of'the cores 130f th8S Ol 6H0idS I i 14 its shownyon oneisidewoat thechute-E in Figure fz. v; r 1- fThe solenoids 14 onthewopposite sidesof thie'Qhu-teare operated in unison through a single controller; end constitute in efiect' '3 single motor. For operating. the solenoids it is; preferred to employ as magnetic switch, which is controlled in turn bye .suitehletim; ing deviee vwhich cagn be' set to throw the a? '7 switch atany predetermined time intervals,

in Figure 2. While automatic operation is preferred, it will be understood that the motor may be controlled manually if desired.

- When the trap-door 7 is opened the coal resting on the door at the time, and for the entire Width of the chute, is discharged into the hopper 18 and thence through the well 19 (Figure 2) and quartering device 20, Fig ure 5. From one compartment of the quartering device 20 a chute 21 leads to the sample-box 22, where a portion of the sample taken is collected. The balance of the sample, together with any dribble which may fall through supplemental hopper 23 and conduit 24, will be caught in a car or bin beneath the open lower end of the Well 19.

In operation the coal in a loose, ungraded mass is delivered from the chute B into the chute C spread out laterally into a wide and relatively shallow stream resting upon the flat floor of the chute. The reciprocation of the chute C by the shaking mechanism A, of any well known or suitable type, serves to propel the stream alongthe chute C while at the same time keeping the coal in a state of agitation so as to facilitate the falling out of the finer grades through the successive screens 1 and 2 which form sections of the floor of the chute. The primary or advance screen 1 has meshes or openings of such size as to permit all sizes of the coal except the largest graded size desired'(usually called lump coal) to fall through the screen 1 into the chute E immediately beneath it. The secondary or rear screen 2 is provided in order that any slack still. entrained with the coal lumps may be dropped through it and flow into the slack-bin M. The graded lump coal is then caused to flow onward to the conveyor D, by which it is transported to the point of deposit. r

The mass of the finer grades of coal which falls'through the screen 1 upon the floor of the chute E is separated and graded, under propulsion and agitation by the shaking mechanism A, in the course of passage over the successive screens 3 and 4 to the conveyor F. The slack falls through the'screen 3 upon the floor of the chute K which leads to the slack-bin M; the next coarser grade,

herein called nut coal, falls through the screen 4 upon the floor of the chute O which leads to the conveyor R; and the socalled egg coal passes on to the conveyor F.

The construction of the units X and Y, for taking samples of the coal in the chutes K and 0 respectively, has been explained above Each unit is placed intermediately of the length of the floor of its chute, the transverse slot 6 and stopgate 5 in advance or toward the inner end of the chute, andv the trapdoor 7 at the rear of the gate or toward the delivery end of the chute. Each slot6, gate 5 and door 7 extendstransversely across the floor of the chute for substantially its entire width, and the door 7 when closed constitutes an intermediate section of the floor of its chute.

In the position of the parts shown in Figure 2 of the drawings the solenoid coils 14 on opposite sides of the chute E are supposed to beenergized, having drawn the cores 13 to the left, thus having elevated the weighted arms 10, thereby maintaining the gates 5 in their depressed or lowered position, and allowing the weighted arms 16 to drop, thus maintaining the trap-doors 7 in their upper or closed position, forming an intermediate part of the fiat floors of the respective chutes K and 0. Upon the operation of the timecontrolled magnetic switch in box Z, the coils of the solenoidson the opposite sides of the chute E are de-energized and the cores 13 and the links 12 thrown to the right by the release ofthe weighted arms 10. By this operation the parts are brought to the position shown in Figure 4, with the stop-gates 5 elevated through their slots 6 in the floors of the respective chutes K and O. In this operation the upward movement of the arms 8 has caused them to engage the pins 17 on the Weighted arms 16, thereby turning the rockshafts 15 and opening the trap-doors 7 downwardly. By the opening of each of the doors 7 there is automatically obtained, from a zone intermediate of the length of the chute extending transversely substantially the entire width of its floor and to the full depth of the stream of coal, a sample altogether representative of the coal passing over the floor at the time. While each sample is being taken the elevated gate 5 holds back the oncoming stream. Upon the reverse operation of the time-controlled magnetic switch Z, the parts are automatically restored to the position shown in Figure 2.

It will be understood that the specific mechanism herein described may be considerably varied without departing from the invention. y

The novel method of takingsamples which is carried out by the apparatus herein described forms the subject-matter of another application for Letters Patent filed by me on October 5th, 1929, Serial No. 397,565.

I claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus of the class described the combination with a chute having a transversely slotted flat supporting floor for the stock, of a vertically movable gate arranged to be elevated and lowered in said slot, a trap-door hinged transversely of said floor in the rear of said slot and gate, said door extending transversely across said floor and forming an intermediate section thereof when in closed position, means for maintaining said trapdoor normallyin closed position, means vfor elevating said gate, and means operated by said gate-elevating means for opening said trap-door.

' my hand.

2. In apparatus ofthe class described the combination with a chute havinga transverse- 1 1y slotted. flat supporting floor for the stock; of a vertically movable gate arranged to be I elevated and lowered in said slot,- a trap-door hinged transversely of said floor in the rear of said slot and gate, said door extending transversely across said floor and forming an intermediatesec tion thereof when in closed position, and means for operating in reverse said gate and said trap-door. In testimony whereofI have hereunto set HOWARD N. EAVENSON. 

